


Right Here, Right Now

by LapisLazooti



Series: Happy Steve Bingo 2018 [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Awkward Dates, Bad Flirting, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, First Dates, Fluff, Happy Steve Bingo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 13:45:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16176299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapisLazooti/pseuds/LapisLazooti
Summary: Steve and Bruce go on a... Date?For the fill, '"Are you flirting with me?" "Have been for the past year, thanks for noticing."'





	Right Here, Right Now

**Author's Note:**

> uuu not my best, but I was trying out a different technique for the writing process itself and it threw me off my groove a little

Bruce was the last person he expected to ask him out for a one-on-one meeting. The man seemed to only hang around Tony, preferring to stay in the lab rather than socialize. So when he saw the man wander into the otherwise gym while Steve was completely decimating yet another punching bag, he assumed something was wrong. 

"Hey, uh... You busy tomorrow, Steve?" Bruce asks. His grip is tight on the handle of the door and Steve thinks he might break it.

He has a feeling this might turn into a longer conversation. He stretches his fingers out, curling and uncurling them before he unwraps the supports that encompass his hands. "I'm free." He usually is. He likes to avoid any press as much as possible and going out a lot doesn't lend well to that. His going out time is mostly reserved for his morning runs or the occasional quick Deli stop. "Something wrong?"

Bruce shakes his head, the mess of dark curls atop his head swaying with the motion. "Just fine. Wanna-" He clearly struggles to get his words out, like the tip of his tongue had gotten stuck behind his teeth. "Wanna grab coffee with me tomorrow morning?"

Was that a date? It sounded like a proposition for a date. Was it? Steve can't tell. He figures if it was, Bruce would just come right out and say it, shyness be damned. You'd think not knowing if the other person thought it was a date or not would be more anxiety-inducing. That being said, Steve had been doing some subtle flirting for quite a while now. Maybe he'd caught on. "Sounds good. Where at?"

"I'll have Jarvis send the address to your room." Bruce blurts out, and then was gone. He's never seen it book it like that from such a harmless situation. 

Huh.

\---

When Steve awakes the next morning, he makes an effort to look... Decent. A little better than average, better than his usual morning-wear choice of a compression shirt and sweats. He chooses a baby blue button up and well-fitted jeans, his worn bomber jacket pulled over it all to combat against the chilly autumn air. His hair is combed neatly to swoop up to the side, faint scent of a recreation of his favorite cologne from back in the day clear on him. He isn't sure if this was a date or not, but if it was, he wants to do the gentlemanly thing and make sure he made an effort. 

He rides his motorcycle to the address Jarvis provided last night. It's a quaint little coffee shop tucked between a couple of run-down buildings. It looked cozy. Painted in dark green and soft browns and creams, with its name printed in cursive on a sign above the door. Only a couple of cars are parked outside, including Bruce's. He strolls in and smiles when the little bell above the door chimed to announce a new customer, catching Bruce's attention. 

And oh man, he hoped this was a date.

Bruce looks real handsome. He'd combed his hair back to tame it, though a few curls still hung over his forehead. The silver strands sprinkled throughout shimmered slightly in the morning light coming through the window. He looks as cozy as the shop itself, all bundled up in a purple sweater and a gray scarf draped around his neck. 

Steve gives a little wave and heads over to go grab a coffee before he joins him, sliding into the bench across from him.

"Hey. Thanks for inviting me out. You sure everything's alright?"

"I.." Bruce pauses. His eyes fall to the coffee cup between his hands. A few of his fingers have frayed band-aids wrapped around them, no doubt from small burns or nicks he'd earned working in the lab. "I suppose I should have specified that it's not an Avengers-related meeting."

"Oh." Hint number one, that this may actually be a date. "What kind of meeting is it, then?"

"Well. Uh, a... personal one, I guess you could call it." Hint two.

"I'd definitely prefer that over a business meeting, anyway." Steve grins. He takes a sip from his coffee, sees Bruce do the same over the edge of his cup. "It's nice to get away from that stuff for a while."

"Absolutely. I love working with Tony, but..." 

"He can be exhausting." He finishes his sentence with a laugh, which earns a little chuckle from the man sitting across from him. The fact is nothing new and even Tony will get in on the jokes about how tiring he can be.

"Exactly." 

Steve watches as the other man draws little designs with his fingertips against his cup. He can't tell if he's spelling something out or perhaps drawing something in particular, and doesn't want to stare for too long. As much as really would appreciate being able to stare, taking in all of Bruce's features and the little quirks and habits he had. Like how he liked to keep his hands under the table when he could so he could fidget with a toy he brought with him, or simply the hem of his shirt or lab coat. "I've been meaning to ask... What's going on between you two?" 

"Oh! Strictly platonic. He's like a brother to me." Hint three?

"Good to know. I was worried you two might be involved." 

"Ah... I see. You interested in Tony?" Bruce freezes. His eyes widen just slightly behind the thick lenses of his glasses as he realized it may not be an appropriate question. Steve doesn't mind, though, really. It paved a path for him to make a move. "Sorry, that's... That's a really personal question. You don't have to answer that."

"Not Tony, no." He gives this sly smile in the other's direction. Bruce's reaction is priceless. He can see the gears turning. He blinks at first, then his brows furrow as he tries to piece those three words together in a way that makes sense to him. 

"Not Tony. Are you-" He tilts his head, and it's way too cute. "Are you flirting with me?" 

"Have been for the past year, thanks for noticing." Steve's grinning from ear to ear, now. Like a giant dork. But he can't help it - Bruce is turning as red as a tomato, looking equally dumbfounded and annoyed with himself for not realizing it on his own time. "I thought you knew. I was kind of under the impression that this might be a, um... Date."

"I was intending for it to be," Bruce admits sheepishly. "I just chickened out."

"Well... It's not too late. Wanna go on a date with me, Banner?"

Bruce huffs out a laugh and shakes his head in amusement before deciding to play along. "I'd like that. When are you free?"

"Right here, right now."


End file.
